Addison norman



N0. 6I2,670. Patented Dot. I8, |898.

v A. NORMAN.

ELECTRIC GABLE SWITCH.

(Applicntion filed Apr. 19, 1897. Renewed June 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED Sra'rns Parasite @einem ADDISON NORMAN, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO VILLIAM MCOABE, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRlC=CABLE SWlTCl-i.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,670, dated October 18, 1898. Application filed April 19,1897. Renewed June 29, 1898. Serial No. 684,735. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it' known that I, ADDIsoN NORMAN, a citizen of Canada, residing at Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Oanada,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Cable Switches, of which the following is4 a full, clear, and eX- act description.

The purpose of my invention the method of switching the electric current from the supply-eonductor to the working conductors of my electric cable as described in my application filed July 8, 1896, Serial No. 598,492, and the mechanism of the switches, making them workable in places where other methods would be unworkable or impracticable.

In the drawings which accompany this specificationl have illustrated the principal' embodiments of the invention.

Figure l is a longitudinal view of the switch attached to a short piece of my cable, said cable being composed of a supply-conductor covered over with insulating material, which is again surrounded by a wrapping of metal wire which serves 'the double purpose of a coat of protection and as working conductors. The wire wrapping is made in short sections and covers the supply-conductor between the switch-cases, to which it is joined at one end only. One of the parts of the case II is cut away to show the contents D, which are shot or small balls of metal. At K K the insulating material is removed from the supplyconductor to make a clean metallic point for the shot to roll against whenever the cable is tilted. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same, which shows the screws or rivets N N that hold the case together.

The case H, which contains and is a part of the switch and cable, is made of metal cast or stamped into shape. It consists of two partsl and is made to lit close and tight over the insulating materal D, which covers the supply-conduetor A; but the middle part of the case is bulged out into a hollow bulb to leave room for the free movement of any loose conductive matter that may be placed therein. The two parts are fitted and joined so as to exclude air and water. They are held together by the screws N Nbeing passed through the case II, but are not allowed to is to improve.

come in contact with'the supply-conductor A. Another way of fastening the parts is shown in Fig. l.

T T are projections made to extend out from the edges of the two parts of the case H, where they join. In these extensions the screws or rivets may be put. The bulb may be made of any desirable shape, but the one shown in the drawings is in most cases to be preferred.

Inside the case Il, I put a number of small metallic balls or shot, but mercury or any other substance that will flow easily and make electric contact and conduct the current from the supply-conductor to the case will do almost as well; but I prefer the shot form to any other material. Inside the case II part of the insulation covering ofthe supply-conductor is cut away at K K to allow the shot to make a metallic contact whenever it is tilted against it as a conveyance raises the cable as it passes along.

X'Vhen any part of the cable is raised from the ground by a vehicle, such vehicle collects the current from the working conductor by means of a trolley or other device as the working conductor becomes charged by the tilting of the shot in the switch-case against the supplyconductor- Having described my invention, I desire to secure by 'Letters Patent the following` claim:

An electric cable for the propulsion of vehicles, consisting of a supply-conductor surrounded by insulating material, portions of which are removed at predetermined intervals, hollow metallic casings surrounding said insulating material and covering the cutaway portions, a freelyfiowing conducting material within each of the said casings, and a working conductor surrounding said insulating material and connected to said casin gs, whereby when the cable is raised a circuit 95 is closed through the supply-conductor the freely-flowing conducting material the easings and the working conductor,substantially as set forth.

ADDISON NORMAN.

IVitnesses:

GEO. BnAvnns, WM. C. NORMAN. 

